Composite Structures – The First 100 Years
Billy Roeseler, Branko Sarh, and Max KismartonOriginally prepared for ICCM-16 Kyoto, Japan
9 July 2007
Added content from John Quinlivan, Joe Sutter, Damon Roberts, (Insensys,) GE, and Boeing 787 Program for Composite Design
Tutorial, Stanford University 28 Sept 2009
Two or more materials combined to perform some useful purposeExhibits the best properties of the individual materials plus additional qualities that the individual materials do not exhibit aloneExamples
Mud and straw Steel-reinforced concreteFibers embedded in a plastic resin matrixOriented Strand Board (OSB)
Composites Then and Now
1943 Popular Mechanics Prediction
Composites Provide Higher Strength and Stiffness
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400
Specific Modulus, E1/ rho (MSI / pci)
Specific Ultimate Tension,
UTS1 (KSI / pci) M60J
M55J
Vectran M
Vectran HS
Zylon ASDyneema T-1000
Zylon
M5
M50JM46J
M40JM35J
M30J
M30ST-800
Boron
M30
T-700G
AS4 T-400H
T300
AS4DSpectra 900
Kevlar 149
Kevlar 49Kevlar 29S-glass
E-glassQuartz
T-300G
AluminumTitanium
Steel
SpecificFiber Properties Dry
(no resin) Tension ONLY HM
Fig 2
Fiberglass Primary Structures -Rotor Blades (1964 flight test)
MASS Governor Volpe inspects Autocopter 1966
767 and Entry Door Spring 1978
Fiberglass Primary Structure in Service 1984
Joe Sutter 1982
1982 Prediction
Joe Sutter
707 DC-9
767
737-300DC-10
L1011
MD-11747-400
7E7
A380
OV-22
A400M
A330-200F/A-18 E/F
F-22F-35
ATR72
ATR42
1940 1960 1980 2000 2020
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Boeing
Non-Boeing
757
B-2
Gripen
A310
LCA
Eurofighter
AV-8B
Perc
ent o
f Com
posit
e
AH-66
777A320A340
Rational Growth of Aerospace Usage of Composite Structures
Allowable Damage Limit
(ADL)
Increasing Damage Severity
Ultimate
~ Maximum load per lifetime
Design Load Level
Continued safe flight
Limit
Critical Damage Threshold (CDT)
1.5 Factor of Safety
Damage Tolerant Design
Nor
mal
ized
Gro
ss F
ailu
re S
tres
s (K
si)
5 10 15 20 25 30 20 30 40 50 60
XXX
X
XX XX
XX
End load Nx (Kip/in.) Shear Stiffness Ratio Gt/Nx
20
30
40
50
60
70
10
11-511-5
1B-11J-3
3B-3
27%Mass Reduction
8%
3J-13I-1
3B-3
3B-33J-13I-1
LCPAS 1982 (2220-3)Rhodes and Williams 1981 (5208)Aluminum (7150)Impact damage ½ in. –diameter metal impactor
X
LCPAS Compression Panel Test Summary
Component
TheoreticalMass
Reduction (%)
Upper SurfaceLower SurfaceSparsTotal(Panels + Spars)
24494038
LCPAS Wing Sizing Based on Test Results
150
FractureToughness
Kaap,Ksi √ in
40 60 80 100
200
100
50
0
Lower Wing• 767• 757• 737• 747-400• 777
Upper Wing• 767• 757• 737-300
-400, -500• 747-400
• 777 Fuselage2XXX-T3
7150
Upper Wing• 737-700,-800• 777
70557075-T651
2024-T3
2024-T351
Old Technology
7178-T651
7150
2324-T392224
Goodness
• 777 Body Stringers
Typical Yield Strength, Ksi
Boeing Structural Aluminum Alloy Improvements
500
550
600
650
700
750
800
850
900
1930 1950 1970 1990 2010 2030 2050
Specific Strength Stress / Density
(Ksi / pci)
Year
DC-3DC-7
B-47
B-52
Comet
737747
757767
IACC
Military
Helicopters
Wind Energy
CommercialWings
777-wing
CommercialTailsSpruce
Goose
UAVs
7055
23242224
7150
7075
2024
Metallics
Composites
Specific Strength Of Wing Bending Materials
Setting New Levels of Leadership
Less fuel usedLower emissionsQuieter for communities, crews, and passengersFewer hazardous materialsLess waste in production
Opening a New Era in Fuel Efficiency
Fuel consumption per trip
Fuel
con
sum
ptio
n pe
r sea
t
300 SEATS225 SEATS
250 SEATS275 SEATS
350 SEATS 400 SEATS
450 SEATS
500 SEATS
550 SEATS
200 SEATS
787
Current Twins
Current Quads
20% Better
Addressing the Market’s Needs (2006-2025)
61%
13%
3%
23%
27,200airplanes
2.6 trilliondelivery dollars*
*In year 2005 dollars
Regional jetsSingle-aisleTwin-aisle747 and larger
45%41%
4%10%
Composites50%
Aluminum20%
Titanium15%
Steel10%
Other5%
Carbon laminateCarbon sandwichOther compositesAluminumTitaniumTitanium/steel/aluminum
Composite Solutions Applied Throughout the 787
Partners Across The Globe Are Bringing The 787 Together (2007 data)
787 Final Assembly FlowEverett, Wash.
Increased Use of Composites Over Time
CompositeSteelTitaniumAluminumMiscellaneous
Materials
1%747
3%757/767
11%777 50%
787
Validation Process Ensures Safety, Reliability
Proven Certification process, validated by positive service experienceBoeing design objectives typically exceed minimum regulatory requirements
MaterialSpecimens
Elements
Assemblies
Components
Airplanes
Increasing Levels of Complexity
Static TestFatigue TestGround & Flight Tests
Static Test Airframe Moves To Testing Rig 25 April 2008
787 Airframe Static Test
Composites Also On Jet Engines
Composites at Work with Wind Turbines (Vestas V90)
BOR 90, Newest Carbon Fiber Flying Machine, Anacortes, WA 2008
www.GGYC.COM
Composites at Sea with the Maltese Falcon
Damon Roberts Insensys, Ltd
Maltese Falcon Rig Engineering and BuildStructural Overview
Bending moment at deck 17,000,000 NmTorque at deck 1,200 kNmHeight 58mSail area on each spar 800 sqmElliptical spar 1.8m by 1.1m max, tapering to 0.6 by 0.4m
at top and reducing to 1.1m diam at deckOpen slot down compression face
Maltese Falcon main spar, note slot for furling sails
Masts
Maltese Falcon Rig Cured in 4 pieces,secondary bonded together
Maltese Falcon Rig Stepping
Real Time Display in Wheel House,Maltese Falcon
Specific Strength, Log (ksi/pci)
Year
Zylon, dry
Vectran, dry
Oil DrillingAL-7050
AL-7150
Wind Energy
Metals
Uni, Rod
Spectra lines GR fiber, dry
Uni, Spring
DC-3
B-52
767 777
AL ladders Chop Fiber
747
4130
Corvette 787
B-47
DC-7
Autocopter
NanoFibers
Comet
Improvements in Specific Strength During the First 100 Years of Composites
1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040
AL Ti Steel Wood Plastic Glass CFRP
High Pressure Tanks
Diverse Modes of Transportation
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Flight Destination (Miles)
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Commercial w Hub
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AFA Driving Mode
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AutomobileCommercial AC Using HubCommercial ACAdvanced Flying Automobile
Flight Destination (Miles)
Automobile
Commercial w Hub
Commercial AC
AFA Flight Mode
AFA Driving Mode
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(Hou
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AutomobileCommercial AC Using HubCommercial ACAdvanced Flying Automobile
Flight Destination (Miles)
Automobile
Commercial w Hub
Commercial AC
AFA Flight Mode
AFA Driving Mode
On the Land, In the Sky, On the Sea: The Best Is Yet to Come